Pedro Sánchez met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, calling for stronger EU-China ties amid growing global trade tensions.
Credit : X- @sanchezcastejon
Pedro Sánchez pushes for stronger EU-China ties, despite US pressure and division within Europe.
While Washington tightens its grip on global trade, Spain is looking East. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Beijing on Friday and made it clear: he sees China as a key partner for the European Union.
Speaking alongside President Xi Jinping, Sánchez said Spain is committed to building a more balanced relationship between the EU and China — even as the United States continues to warn its allies that drawing closer to Beijing could backfire.
“We believe in cooperation, not confrontation,” Sánchez said during his third visit to China in just three years. He acknowledged that there are differences between Madrid and Beijing, but insisted these can be addressed through dialogue and shared interests.
Spain plays the role of mediator amid global trade tensions
Sánchez’s visit comes at a moment of growing unease in Brussels. Tensions with China are high, especially as EU officials accuse Beijing of flooding international markets with cheap goods — the result of massive over-investment in manufacturing. And with a major EU-China summit planned for July, leaders across Europe are still debating how close the bloc should get to China.
But Spain is making its position clear. Rather than taking sides in the escalating trade conflict between the US and China, Sánchez is calling for a diplomatic route, and for Europe to have a voice of its own.
“The more turbulent and unpredictable the world becomes,” he said, “the more important it is to keep building strong, stable relations between China and Spain — and between China and Europe.”
Sánchez also encouraged the US to sit down at the table with other world powers, calling on Washington to seek global solutions rather than acting alone.
Xi welcomes Sánchez’s stance as EU-China summit approaches
Xi Jinping, in his first public response to Trump’s latest trade offensive, echoed Sánchez’s call for cooperation, saying there are “no winners in a trade war.” He thanked Spain for its approach, and praised the EU’s role in preserving international stability.
“Only through solidarity and collaboration can we protect peace and promote development,” Xi said, alluding to Europe’s potential as a diplomatic counterbalance to Washington.
The upcoming EU-China summit will mark 50 years of official relations between Brussels and Beijing. And while EU leaders are expected to travel to China for the meeting, it’s not yet clear how united they’ll be once they arrive.
For now, Spain is stepping forward — not just to deepen its own relationship with China, but to encourage the EU to think beyond Washington’s shadow.
Source : James Badcock
